Well, we made it out of 2020, and what a year! Obviously, Covid-19 dominated the news, but for this post, we’ve focused on other news. Here are our top 10 most read posts from 2020:
1: Crown Street to reopen after technical issues halt works
Back in January, before Covid entered the equation, the Town Centre was disrupted by roadworks to fit important sewer and power ducting to the new Crown Wharf installation. The works were ended earlier than predicted after the teams hit unexpected issues with work being completed later in 2020.
2: Stone Round Table Santa sleigh tour dates released
In a difficult year, Stone Round Table did their best to bring a little Christmas magic with their annual sleigh tour being adapted to be Covid safe. The tour hit a snag after an axle broke on the sleigh trailer on their first night, but they worked hard to recover and catch up with as many streets as possible.
3: A reminder why World War 2 didn’t end on VE Day
In May the whole country was due to celebrate VE Day’s 75th anniversary, but many plans were abandoned due to lockdown. ALBOS encouraged people to have their own socially distant celebration and we were supplied with this piece to remind everyone of the efforts that continued even after the historic day.
4: Air ambulance attends Stone after teenage girl gets into difficulty in the River Trent
The dangers of the River Trent were highlighted in June when a girl fell in and had to be rescued. The incident was attended by the Air Ambulance, but luckily she walked away without injury.
5: Sandon Hall to become drive in cinema for the summer
One of the highlights post lockdown for locals was Sandon Hall becoming a drive-in movie venue. Casablanca, Toy Story, Mamma Mia, and many more films were enjoyed whilst watchers kept socially distant in their own cars.
6: Ruff time to open a business? – A new Stone dog cafe is looking to take the lead
In November we brought news of a Dog Cafe that planned to open in town. Unfortunately, due to second lockdown and then Staffordshire being put into Tier 3 and now Tier 4, their plans were put on hold. However, owners Leanne and Kane are still very much planning on opening once restrictions allow.
7: Aston Marina brings alfresco “Dome Dining” to the waterside this autumn
Local eatery Aston Marina brought a unique dining experience in October, with their new Dome pods. Diners could enjoy 360 degree views whilst remaining in their “bubbles”.
8: Eleven arrests in Stone as Staffordshire Police increase patrols across the town
Community spirit was very much in evidence throughout the year, with residents springing into action after graffiti was found in various places in the town, and community groups being created on Facebook. One of the highlights was 11 arrests by police in October.
9: Emergency services unable to save cardiac arrest victim in Stone High Street
In November tragedy struck as a gentlemen suffered a cardiac arrest. Bystanders and an off duty nurse worked to save the gentleman, but unfortunately, he could not be saved.
10: Stafford Borough Council launch £36 brown bin collection charge sign up
A controversial decision was made this year by Stafford Borough Council after proposals were put forward in November 2019 to scrap the free Brown Bin collection and start charging for the service. This was implemented in November 2020 and chargeable brown bin collections begin in January 2021.
Special mentions:
Stone Helpline
A joint venture between A Little Bit of Stone and Stone Town Council, Stone Helpline was launched on 16th April 2020, after a campaign saw over 200 people volunteer to help those in need. The service has completed hundreds of volunteer tasks, and is still running with a solid base of volunteers helping regular callers and new people alike. Our post celebrating our 6 month mark in October can be found here.
ALBOS Quizzes
Our online quizzes started on 22nd March and initially ran for 18 weeks, and then made comebacks with special Food and Drink Festival, and Christmas editions. At it’s peak we had nearly 160 teams playing our just for fun quiz, with top spots hotly contested!
Stone Community Hub
During a year with an unprecedented need for their services, Stone Community Hub stepped up and helped hundreds of families and vulnerable people, and their amazing work won the Social Wellbeing category at Stafford Borough Council Community Awards 2020. Lots of businesses, schools, and individuals gave the Hub amazing support along the way.
Keyworkers
Whether on the frontline fighting the virus as part of the NHS, or shopkeepers, supermarket staff, teachers, and many more, keyworkers were the backbone of the country this year. Our community was no different, with amazing people doing incredible work behind the scenes and out in the public eye. We thank each & every one of you.
On a personal note, team ALBOS are very grateful to all the individuals and organisations that have supported our endeavours and projects, including the quizzes, our Christmas Eve Santa story, and everything that has helped us make the year a little more bearable for our community. In the last year we’ve added over 3000 followers on Facebook, passing the 20,000 mark and many more across Twitter and Instagram. This helps us reunite owners with pets, lost and found items, and reach the people in the town that need help or assistance. Thank you all, and we look forward to seeing what 2021 brings to Stone!
